Dear The Czar,

Very briefly, two news items to keep an eye on.

Remember when we discussed the attempts to place a ban on male circumcision in San Francisco? Well, it’s made the ballot in November. It would become a misdemeanor ‘to circumcise, excise, cut or mutilate the foreskin, testicle or penis of another person who as not attained the age of 18.’ The penalty would be up to a $1,000 fine and up to 1 year in jail. There do not appear to be a religious exemption for Muslims or Jews, nor does there appear to be a proviso for medical necessity (stricture/infection). It’s interesting that testicular mutilation is part of the misdemeanor, because if the testes are mutilated, it’s called ‘MISSING THE FORESKIN BY A MILE, or more affectionately, MALPRACTICE.’ No word as to what can or cannot be done to an innocent scrotum. Dr. J will be following and reporting back on this story in November because it represents the overlap of two of his favorite issues, religious freedom and bureaucratic interference in healthcare.

In other news from the People’s Republic of South Oakland, Congresswoman Pelosi’s (that feels so good) district received 20 percent of the Obamacare waivers. If the principal driver of the healthcare Titanic onto the iceberg is getting 20% of the lifeboats for a district that represents 1/435s of the American population, that must tell you that the Healthcare ship is sinking and the rats need to get off as well. This type of cronyism should outrage the public. Hopefully enough of these stories will sink into the collective consciousness of freedom loving Americans everywhere such that a sufficient number of congressmen, senators and a new president can repeal this Trojan horse that will lead to a single-payer system after medicine collapses under the weight of bureaucratic expenses.

On this note, have a pleasant evening.

Best,
Dr. J.

The Czar is curious that members of San Francisco lefty lefts think that surgical and safe removal of the foreskin is detrimental to the child, but that cutting out the rest of the baby before birth is perfectly acceptable. Hey, maybe if this law passes, all the abortion clinics in the Bay Area should be shut down because of it? Technically, speaking.

Obviously, we must remember that Liberals are ultimately contrarians: whatever you think is okay, they are against. This why there will never be a truce on social issues, as Gov. Daniels requested, and why conservative acceptance of social liberalism will never be enough: as soon as the majority becomes for something, the 18-20% who are liberals will immediately be against it, demand government intervention to stop it, and make Hollywood films about how horrible we all are.

Sigh.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.